AUTONOMOUS MOBILE CLEANER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20170354304A1
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KWAK, Donghoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,349,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/102 Dust separators cyclones A47L9/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/12 Dry filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

Provided is an autonomous mobile cleaner including a main body, a suction unit having a handle and configured to suck up surrounding foreign material, an air pipe configured to connect the main body and the suction unit and guide the foreign material into the main body, at least one driving wheel installed below the main body, a driving unit configured to drive the driving wheel by operating a driving motor, a wheel sensor configured to sense rotation of the driving wheel, and a controller configured to control the movement of the main body through the driving unit on the basis of the rotation of the driving wheel sensed by the wheel sensor.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a suction unit having a handle and configured to maintain a predetermined distance from the main body and suck up surrounding foreign material;

an air pipe configured to connect the main body and the suction unit and guide the foreign material into the main body;

a first driving wheel installed in a left side with respect to a traveling direction of the main body and a second driving wheel installed in a right side below the main body;

a driving unit configured to drive the first and second driving wheels by operating a driving motor;

a wheel sensor connected to the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel and configured to sense rotation of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel; and

a controller configured to control movement of the main body through the driving unit based on the rotation of the driving wheels sensed by the wheel sensor.

2. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the movement of the main body based on the rotation of the driving wheels sensed by the wheel sensor when the driving wheels are not driven by the driving unit.

3. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel in the same direction as rotation directions of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel sensed by the wheel sensor.

4. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel according to rotation amounts of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel sensed by the wheel sensor.

5. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 4, wherein rotation amounts by which the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are driven are greater than the rotation amounts of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel sensed by the wheel sensor.

6. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 4, wherein the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel such that rotation amounts by which the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are driven do not exceed a predetermined rotation amount limit.

7. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 1, wherein, when a difference between the rotation amount of the first driving wheel and the rotation amount of the second driving wheel which are sensed by the wheel sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined value or when the rotation direction of the first driving wheel and the rotation direction of the second driving wheel are different from each other, the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel in a predetermined obstruction avoidance pattern.

8. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 7, wherein the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel such that the main body follows the suction unit based on the rotation of the first driving wheel and the rotation of the second driving wheel which are sensed by the wheel sensor.

9. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 7, wherein,

the obstruction avoidance pattern includes a first obstruction avoidance pattern, and

when the difference between the rotation of the first driving wheel and the rotation of the second driving wheel is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the controller drives only the one of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel that has a smaller rotation amount or drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel such that the one driving wheel have a greater rotation amount than the other driving wheel according to the first avoidance pattern.

10. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 9, wherein, when the rotation direction of the first driving wheel and the rotation direction of the second driving wheel are different from each other, the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel in directions opposite to the rotation directions of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel which are sensed by the wheel sensor.

11. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 10, wherein,

the obstruction avoidance pattern further includes a second obstruction avoidance pattern, and

the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel by a predetermined rotation amount in the same rotation direction according to the second obstruction avoidance pattern before or after the first obstruction avoidance pattern.

12. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a bumper sensor provided in the main body and configured to sense a front obstacle,

wherein the controller drives the first and second driving wheels according to a predetermined obstacle avoidance pattern to avoid the obstacle on the basis of the position of the obstacle sensed by the bumper sensor and drives the first and second driving wheels such that the main body follows the suction unit based on the rotation of the first driving wheel and the rotation of the second driving wheel that are sensed by the wheel sensor.

13. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 12, wherein the obstacle avoidance pattern includes a first obstacle avoidance pattern.

14. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 13, wherein, in order to turn the main body to move in a direction opposite to the position of the obstacle, according to the first obstacle avoidance pattern, the controller drives only the one of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel that is closer to the obstacle sensed by the bumper sensor, drive the first and second driving wheels such that the one driving wheel has a greater rotation amount than the other driving wheel, or drive the first and second driving wheels in opposite directions.

15. The autonomous mobile cleaner of claim 14, wherein,

the obstacle avoidance pattern further includes a second obstacle avoidance pattern, and

the controller drives the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel by a predetermined rotation amount in the same rotation direction according to the second obstruction avoidance pattern before or after the first obstruction avoidance pattern.

16. A control method of an autonomous mobile cleaner including a main body, a suction unit configured to maintain a predetermined distance from the main body and suck up surrounding foreign material, an air pipe configured to connect the main body and the suction unit and guide the foreign material into the main body, a first driving wheel installed in a left side with respect to a traveling direction of the main body and a second driving wheel installed in a right side below the main body, a driving unit configured to drive the first and second driving wheels such that the main body follows the suction unit, and a wheel sensor connected to the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel, the control method comprising:

sensing rotation of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel; and

controlling movement of the main body through the driving unit based on the sensed rotation of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel.

17. The control method of claim 16, further comprising stopping driving the driving wheels before the sensing of the rotation of the driving wheels is performed.

18. The control method of claim 16, wherein,

the sensing of the rotation of the driving wheels comprises sensing rotation of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel, and the sensing of the rotation of the driving wheels comprises individually driving the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel in the same direction as the sensed rotation directions of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel.